Eastern DRC journalist in rebel custody for more than a month

Kinshasa, October 30, 2025—The M23 and Congo River Alliance (AFC) rebel groups must ensure the immediate and unconditional release of journalist Ricardo Olenga, detained for over a month in the eastern city of Goma, in North Kivu, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

On September 19, 2025, intelligence agents with the M23 and AFC rebel groups detained Olenga, a reporter with the privately owned Radio Kako FM broadcaster, at their Goma office, according to local media and two local journalists who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The groups detained Olenga for sharing a video that discussed alleged abuses by the two armed groups — he is accused of spreading false news. On October 23, the journalist was transferred to Goma’s Munzenze central prison, according to the same sources.

The M23, which is part of the AFC, has been fighting the DRC government for over a decade and expanded their control of parts of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Goma, in early 2025.

“The rebel authorities controlling Goma must immediately release journalist Ricardo Olenga and allow journalists to work without restrictions,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. “Eastern DRC continues to be a danger zone for journalists and all parties to the conflict in the region must prioritize press freedom.”

In the video Olenga posted across social media, a mother discusses daily challenges Goma residents face, including forced child recruitment and the jailing of her son, who was accused of belonging to the Wazalendo, a pro-government militia.

Despite the ceasefire monitoring agreement signed on October 14 between the Congolese government and M23/AFC under the mediation of Qatar, fighting continues in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.

CPJ’s questions sent to M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma via messaging app in late October received no response.